2025 Bill Tracker
Each year, The Parents’ Campaign closely monitors and takes a position on selected education bills. Priority bills for the 2025 Legislative Session will be added below as they move through the legislative process.
NOTE: The 2025 Regular Session of the Legislature adjourned April 3 without completion of a state budget. The 2025 First Extraordinary Session began May 28, with an agenda (as set by the Governor) to finalize the state budget.
HB 42 – P-12 Education Appropriation. Funds pre-k through grade 12 education as follows: $16-million increase in funding for the Mississippi Student Funding Formula (MSFFP), including funding to cover increases in educators’ health insurance premiums and PERS; level funding for Early Learning Collaboratives and State Invested Pre-k (SIP) programs; full funding for National Board Certification, a $1-million increase; full funding for the Chickasaw Cession program, a $4-million increase; level funding for teacher supplies/instructional materials; level funding for reading and math coaches; $3.5-million for the Mississippi Teacher Residency Program to help mitigate the teacher shortage; $2.1-million for a distance learning program for critical shortage areas; $2-million increase for the ESA voucher program; and more.
- Referred to House Appropriations Committee, 5/28/2025
- Passed by House Appropriations Committee, 5/28/2025
- Passed by House, 5/28/2025
- Held by House on a motion to reconsider, 5/28/2025
- Motion to reconsider tabled, 5/29/2025
- Referred to Senate Appropriations Committee, 5/29/2025
- Passed by Senate Appropriations Committee, 5/29/2025
- Passed by Senate, 5/29/2025
SB 3165 – Bond bill; private school funding. Provides for various bond projects for the Mississippi Development Authority.
- Referred to Senate Finance Committee, 2/24/2025
- Passed by Senate Finance Committee, 2/25/2025
- Passed by Senate, 2/26/2025
- Referred to House Ways & Means Committee, 3/3/2025
- Amended by House Ways & Means Committee to bring forward for possible amendments the code section for Children’s Promise Act tax credits for private schools; other provisions remain, 3/17/2025
- Passed by House Ways & Means Committee as amended, 3/17/2025
- Passed by House, 3/18/2025
- Returned to Senate for concurrence, 3/19/2025
- Senate declined to concur and invited conference, 3/20/2025
- Senate conferees named: Harkins, Johnson, Sparks, 3/27/2025
- Conference report filed: removes code section pertaining to Children’s Promise Act tax credits for private schools, 3/28/2025
- Conference report adopted by House, 3/31/2025
- Conference report held by House on a motion to reconsider, 3/31/2025
- Conference report adopted by Senate, 3/31/2025
- Motion to reconsider tabled by House, 4/1/2025
- Due from Governor, 4/24/2025
- Signed by Governor, 4/17/2025
The Parents’ Campaign opposes any increase in Children’s Promise Act tax credits for private schools and favors amending the bill to require state audits of private schools receiving state funding.
DEAD
HB 1078 – ESA Voucher Expansion; Loosening of Restrictions and Accountability. Removes provisions passed in the 2024 session that tightened restrictions and accountability in the ESA voucher statute. Removes cap on number of voucher participants. Expands the program to include children in foster care who do not have special needs. Allows an unnamed nonprofit to receive state funds to administer the program.
- Referred to House Education Committee, 1/20/2025
- Passed by House Education Committee, 2/4/2025
- Passed by House: 109 yeas, 6 nays, 0 absent, 5 present/not voting, 2 vacant, 2/6/2025 See vote
- Referred to Senate Education Committee, 2/17/2025
- Died in committee, 3/4/2025
The Parents’ Campaign favors a nay vote on this bill.
HB 1118 – Mississippi Teacher Residency Program. Legislature shall appropriate sufficient funds for the program annually beginning in FY2026.
- Referred to House Education and Appropriations Committees, 1/20/2025
- Passed by House Education Committee, 1/22/2025
- Died in committee, 2/4/2025
The Parents’ Campaign favors a yea vote on this bill.
HB 1135 – State and School Employees Health Insurance Plan/Dependent Coverage. State shall pay 50% of the cost of health insurance coverage for state and school employees’ eligible dependents.
- Referred to House Insurance and Appropriations Committees, 1/20/2025
- Died in committee, 2/4/2025
The Parents’ Campaign favors a yea vote on this bill.
HB 1431 – School District Consolidation. Requires consolidation of all school districts into one district per county. Limits each of Mississippi’s 82 counties to a single county board of education and an appointed county superintendent of education.
- Referred to House Education Committee, 1/20/2025
- Committee substitute creates a task force to develop recommendations for consolidating school districts into one per county with a single county board of education and superintendent; out of 15 task force members only one is designated to represent public schools, 2/4/2025
- Committee substitute passed by House Education Committee, 2/4/2025
- Passed by House: 82 yeas, 18 nays, 0 absent, 20 present/not voting, 2 vacant, 2/6/2025 See vote
- Referred to Senate Education Committee, 2/14/2025
- Died in committee, 3/4/2025
The Parents’ Campaign favors a nay vote on this bill.
HB 1432 – Charter School Expansion; Weakening of Oversight and Accountability. Allows charter schools to be authorized in districts rated D or F at any time within five years preceding charter application, even if currently rated A, until adjustments are made to state accountability model. Allows charter schools serving special needs to be authorized in any district regardless of accountability rating. Allows multiple authorizers of charter schools, weakening oversight and accountability.
- Referred to House Education Committee, 1/20/2025
- Committee substitute removes the provision allowing charter schools in districts rated D or F at any time in past five years and adds a provision that allows charter schools to be authorized without school board approval in districts rated C until adjustments are made to state accountability model; other provisions of the bill remain the same, 2/4/2025
- Committee substitute passed by House Education Committee, 2/4/2025
- Passed by House: 60 yeas, 49 nays, 2 absent, 9 present/not voting, 2 vacant, 2/12/2025 See vote
- Referred to Senate Education Committee, 2/17/2025
- Died in committee, 3/4/2025
The Parents’ Campaign favors a nay vote on this bill.
HB 1433 – Mississippi Quality Desert Education Enrollment and Transfer Scholarship Act. Creates new program of private and public school choice for students in any school or district rated D or F at any point within the last five years. Diverts public money to private schools. Imposes administrative burdens on school districts.
- Referred to House Education Committee, 1/20/2025
- Committee substitute renames the bill to the Flexible and Rightful Education Enrollment (FREE) Act; other provisions of the bill remain the same, 2/4/2025
- Passed by House Education Committee, 2/4/2025
- Died on calendar, 2/13/2025
The Parents’ Campaign favors a nay vote on this bill.
HB 1435 – Open Enrollment/Public School Choice. Allows students to transfer to a district outside of their own residence with the approval of the receiving district. Creates a significant administrative burden on districts by requiring they report four times a year the enrollment capacity and space available for each school and each grade as well as the district’s policy on student transfers. Prescribes rules for athletic eligibility of transferring students.
- Referred to House Education Committee, 1/20/2025
- Committee substitute amends the bill to say that athletic eligibility shall be determined according to rules and regulations of the Mississippi High School Activities Association; other provisions of the bill remain the same, 1/29/2025
- Committee substitute passed by House Education Committee, 1/29/2025
- Strike-all amendment presented in House: allows students to transfer to district out of their own residence with the approval of the receiving district; creates a significant administrative burden on districts by requiring they report three times a year the enrollment capacity and space available for each school and grade as well as the district’s policy on student transfers; requires athletic eligibility of transferring students to be determined according to rules and regulations of MHSAA; amended on House floor to add requirement for PEER report after first year of implementation, 2/6/2025
- Passed by House: 69 yeas, 47 nays, 0 absent, 4 present/not voting, 2 vacant, 2/6/2025 See vote
- Referred to Senate Education Committee, 2/14/2025
- Died in committee, 3/4/2025
The Parents’ Campaign favors a nay vote on this bill.
HB 1617 – Tim Tebow Act. Allows homeschool students to participate in public school extracurricular activities. Creates an unlevel playing field and imposes administrative burdens on public schools. Public school students must maintain a 2.0 GPA based on rigorous state standards to participate; homeschool students would be able to meet that requirement by presenting a “portfolio” of work, not subject to state standards, which public school administrators would be charged with evaluating. Provides favored status to homeschool students in the selection of athletic teams, requiring that homeschool students not be discriminated against.
- Referred to House Education Committee, 1/22/2025
- Committee substitute adds option of grade-level testing as part of evaluation of student eligibility; adds requirement for participation in statewide testing program but homeschool students’ scores will not affect the district’s accountability rating; other provisions of the bill remain the same, 1/29/2025
- Passed by House Education Committee, 1/29/2025
- Passed by House: 77 yeas, 27 nays, 4 absent, 12 present/not voting, 2 vacant, 2/11/2025 See vote
- Referred to Senate Education Committee, 2/14/2025
- Died in committee, 3/4/2025
The Parents’ Campaign favors a nay vote on this bill.
HB 1630 – Updates to Mississippi Student Funding Formula. Updates statutory language in MSFF to remove remaining references to MAEP and reflect current funding formula.
- Referred to House Education Committee, 1/22/2025
- Committee substitute passed by House Education Committee, 2/4/2025
- Passed by House, 2/6/2025
- Held on motion to reconsider, 2/6/2025
- Reconsidered, amended to add reverse repealer, and passed as amended, 2/13/2025
- Referred to Senate Education and Appropriations Committees, 2/17/2025
- Amended by Senate Education Committee to insert provisions of SB 2598 improving statute regarding retired teachers returning to teach and receiving PERS benefits, and provision of SB 2616 adding 7th and 8th grades to career and technical education component of funding formula, 3/4/2025
- Passed as amended by Senate Education Committee, 3/4/2025
- Passed by Senate Appropriations Committee, 3/4/2025
- Amended on Senate floor to add language requiring districts to implement a financial literacy curriculum and school boards to adopt a student policy regarding cell phones, and allowing school boards to vote to provide health insurance to board members and their dependents using local funds; other provisions remain, 3/11/2025
- Passed by Senate as amended, 3/11/2025
- Returned to House for concurrence, 3/11/2025
- House declined to concur and invited conference, 3/27/2025
- House conferees named: Roberson, McCarty, Owen, 3/28/2025
- Senate conferees named: DeBar, Parker, Hopson, 3/28/2025
- Died in conference, 3/31/2025
The Parents’ Campaign favors a yea vote on this bill.
HB 1768 – Appropriation for pre-k through grade 12 public education.
- Referred to House Appropriations Committee, 2/17/2025
- Passed by House Appropriations Committee, 2/19/2025
- Passed by House: 117 yeas, 0 nays, 1 absent, 2 present/not voting, 2 vacant, 2/20/2025
- Referred to Senate Appropriations Committee, 2/26/2025
- Passed by Senate Appropriations Committee, 3/7/2025
- Passed by Senate, 3/12/2025
- Returned to House for concurrence, 3/14/2025
- House declined to concur and invited conference, 3/18/2025
- House conferees named: Oliver, Read, Roberson, 3/18/2025
- Senate conferees named: Hopson, DeBar, Robinson, 3/19/2025
- Died in conference, 3/29/2025
HB 1894 – Bond bill; private school funding. Provides a vehicle for numerous bond projects, including for IHL facilities. Also brings forward for possible amendments the code section for Children’s Promise Act tax credits for private schools. As introduced, provides no increase in current level of funding ($9-million annually to private schools).
- Referred to House Ways & Means Committee, 2/25/2025
- Passed by House Ways & Means Committee, 2/25/2025
- Passed by House, 2/26/2025
- Referred to Senate Finance Committee, 3/4/2025
- Passed by Senate Finance Committee, 3/13/2025
- Passed by Senate, 3/18/2025
- Returned to House for concurrence, 3/19/2025
- House declined to concur and invited conference, 3/20/2025
- House conferees named: Lamar, Steverson, Barnett, 3/25/2025
- Senate conferees named: Harkins, Johnson, Sparks, 3/27/2025
- Died in conference, 3/29/2025
The Parents’ Campaign opposes any increase in Children’s Promise Act tax credits for private schools and favors amending the bill to require state audits of private schools receiving state funding.
HB 1902 – Private school funding. Provides public funding for private schools of $20-million in 2025 (an increase of $11-million over current law) and annually thereafter via Children’s Promise Act tax credits. Each participating private school can receive up to $600,000 in publicly-funded revenue annually, with no restrictions on expenditure of funds, no reporting requirements, and no state audit to verify the number of qualifying children enrolled.
- Referred to House Ways & Means Committee, 2/26/2025
- Passed by House Ways & Means Committee, 2/26/2025
- Passed by House: 96 yeas, 16 nays, 0 absent, 8 present/not voting, 2 vacant, 2/26/2025 See vote
- Held on a motion to reconsider, 2/26/2025
- Motion to reconsider tabled, 2/27/2025
- Referred to Senate Finance Committee, 3/4/2025
- Amended by Senate Finance Committee to delete the $11-million increase in public funding for private schools and to add a reverse repealer, 3/17/2025
- Passed by Senate Finance Committee as amended, 3/17/2025
- Amended by Senate to require PEER review of participating private schools to determine the number of qualified children enrolled, 3/18/2025
- Failed to pass Senate: 23 yeas, 26 nays, 0 absent, 2 present/not voting, 1 vacant, 3/18/2025 See vote
- Held on a motion to reconsider, 3/18/2025
- Motion to suspend rules fails, 3/19/2025
The Parents’ Campaign favors a nay vote on this bill.
HB 1903 – Private school funding. Provides public funding for private schools of $16-million in 2025, $18-million in 2026, and $20-million in 2027 (significant increases over current law) and annually thereafter via Children’s Promise Act tax credits. Each participating private school can receive up to $480,000 in 2025, $540,000 in 2026, and $600,000 annually by 2027, with no restrictions on expenditure of funds, no reporting requirements, and no state audit to verify the number of qualifying children enrolled.
- Referred to House Ways & Means Committee, 2/26/2025
- Passed by House Ways & Means Committee, 2/26/2025
- Passed by House: 118 yeas, 1 nay, 0 absent, 1 present/not voting, 2 vacant, 2/26/2025 See vote
- Referred to Senate Finance Committee, 3/4/2025
- Died in committee, 3/18/2025
The Parents’ Campaign favors a nay vote on this bill.
SB 2598 – Retired Teachers and Administrators Return to Classroom and Receive PERS. Amends law to add retired librarians, counselors, and administrators as eligible to work as teachers, librarians, or counselors full-time in certain critical shortage areas while receiving full PERS benefits. Increases salary to 150% of salary schedule, of which 50% is paid to retiree as salary and the remaining 50% is paid by the school district to PERS as a pension liability participation assessment. Allows school districts to pay all or a portion of health insurance premiums for such retired employees.
- Referred to Senate Education Committee, 1/20/2025
- Committee substitute removes librarians and counselors from amendment so that only teachers and administrators are eligible to work as teachers in certain critical shortage areas while receiving full PERS benefits; other provisions of the bill remain the same, 1/31/2025
- Committee substitute passed by Senate Education Committee, 1/31/2025
- Passed by Senate: 51 yeas, 0 nays, 0 absent, 0 present/not voting, 1 vacant, 2/6/2025 See vote
- Referred to House Education and Appropriations Committees, 2/14/2025
- Died in committee, 3/4/2025
The Parents’ Campaign favors a yea vote on this bill.
SB 2602 – Open Enrollment/Public School Choice. Allows students to transfer to a district outside of their own residence with the approval of the receiving district. Creates an administrative burden on districts by requiring they report by June 15 each year the enrollment capacity and space available for each grade as well as the district’s policy on student transfers.
- Referred to Senate Education Committee, 1/20/2025
- Died in committee, 2/4/2025
The Parents’ Campaign favors a nay vote on this bill.
SB 2616 – Updates to Mississippi Student Funding Formula (MSFF). Updates statutory language in MSFF to remove remaining references to MAEP and reflect current funding formula.
- Referred to Senate Education Committee, 1/20/2025
- Committee substitute adds 7th and 8th grades to the career and technical education component of the funding formula; other provisions remain the same, 1/31/2025
- Committee substitute passed by Senate Education Committee, 1/31/2025
- Passed by Senate: 51 yeas, 0 nays, 0 absent, 0 present/not voting, 1 vacant, 2/6/2025 See vote
- Referred to House Education and Appropriations Committees, 2/14/2025
- Died in committee, 3/4/2025
The Parents’ Campaign favors a yea vote on this bill.
SB 2618 – School Attendance Officers. Transfers responsibility for employing and managing duties of School Attendance Officers (SAOs) from MDE to local school districts effective 7/1/25. Provides for a minimum salary of $30,000 annually for newly hired SAOs. Requires the state to provide funding for 1 SAO for every 3,000 compulsory school-age children enrolled in the public schools of a county.
- Referred to Senate Education Committee, 1/20/2025
- Committee substitute provides for a minimum salary of $34,000 annually for newly hired SAOs; adds a 25% pay increase for currently serving SAOs; other provisions remain, 2/3/2025
- Committee substitute passed by Senate Education Committee, 2/3/2025
- Passed by Senate, 2/12/2025
- Referred to House Education and Accountability, Efficiency, & Transparency Committees, 2/17/2025
- Amended by House Education Committee to insert language of HB 1435 providing for public school choice; other provisions remain, 3/4/2025
- Passed as amended by House Education Committee, 3/4/2025
- Died on calendar, 3/12/2025
The Parents’ Campaign favors amending the bill to remove the public school choice (HB 1435) provisions that were added by the House.
SB 2764 – CTE Funding for 7th and 8th Grades. Adds 7th and 8th grades to the career and technical education component of the Mississippi Student Funding Formula.
- Referred to Senate Education Committee, 1/20/2025
- Died in committee, 2/4/2025
The Parents’ Campaign favors a yea vote on this bill.
SB 3126 – Gaming taxes; private school funding. Provides for tax credits for gaming entities located in Mississippi.
- Referred to Senate Finance Committee, 2/24/2025
- Passed by Senate Finance Committee, 2/25/2025
- Passed by Senate, 2/26/2025
- Referred to House Ways & Means Committee and Accountability, Efficiency, & Transparency Committee, 3/3/2025
- Amended by House Ways & Means Committee to bring forward for possible amendments the code section for Children’s Promise Act tax credits for private schools and other tax credit code sections; other provisions remain, 3/17/2025
- Passed by House Ways & Means Committee as amended, 3/17/2025
- Passed by Accountability, Efficiency, & Transparency Committee, 3/18/2025
- Passed by House, 3/18/2025
- Returned to Senate for concurrence, 3/18/2025
- Senate declined to concur and invited conference, 3/20/2025
- Senate conferees named: Harkins, DeLano, Thompson, 3/27/2025
- Conference report filed: removes code section pertaining to Children’s Promise Act tax credits for private schools, 3/28/2025
- Conference report adopted by Senate, 3/31/2025
- Died on House calendar, 3/31/2025
The Parents’ Campaign opposes any increase in Children’s Promise Act tax credits for private schools and favors amending the bill to require state audits of private schools receiving state funding.
SB 3167 – Tax credits; private school funding. Provides for tax credits for certain expenditures related to television productions in Mississippi.
- Referred to Senate Finance Committee, 2/24/2025
- Passed by Senate Finance Committee, 2/26/2025
- Passed by Senate, 2/26/2025
- Referred to House Ways & Means Committee, 2/28/2025
- Amended by House Ways & Means Committee to strike all and replace with House language regarding television production tax credits, 3/17/2025
- Passed by House Ways & Means Committee as amended, 3/17/2025
- Amended in House to provide public funding for private schools of $20-million in 2025 (an increase of $11-million over current law) and annually thereafter via Children’s Promise Act tax credits; each participating private school can receive up to $600,000 in state-subsidized revenue annually, with no restrictions on expenditure of funds, no reporting requirements, and no state audit to verify the number of qualifying children enrolled; imposes reductions in other tax credit programs (pre-k, pregnancy resource and crisis pregnancy centers, transitional housing, and health care services for low-income residents); other provisions remain, 3/18/2025
- Passed by House as amended, 3/18/2025
- Returned to Senate for concurrence, 3/19/2025
- Senate declined to concur and invited conference, 3/20/2025
- Senate conferees named: Harkins, Johnson, Chassaniol, 3/27/2025
- House conferees named: Lamar, Steverson, Barnett, 3/28/2025
- Died in conference, 3/29/2025
The Parents’ Campaign opposes any increase in Children’s Promise Act tax credits for private schools and favors amending the bill to require state audits of private schools receiving state funding.
